Return of the Loch Ness... beaver! Creatures released on Highland estate 500 years after they were hunted to extinction
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A family of six beavers has been reintroduced to waters around Loch Ness where the species was last seen 500 years ago before being hunted to extinction.
The animals were released in Trees for Life’s 10,000-acre Dundreggan rewilding estate in Glenmoriston on Wednesday.
Steve Micklewright, chief executive of the wildlife charity said it was a ‘very beautiful thing to see’ the beavers settling in.
‘I can see them swimming and very calm, which is a really good sign,’ he said.
A beaver inspects its new home around Loch Ness
The family were relocated from Tayside after causing problems for farmers
The family, a mother, a couple of juveniles around two years old, and three younger beavers, were relocated from Tayside where they were causing problems for farmers, given a health check, then taken to their new home.
The release is the first for the Ness Beaver Project, which will see Trees for Life and Beaver Trust place at least 15 family groups around Loch Ness over the next three years.
Beaver dams and canals can restore and reconnect rivers, wetlands and floodplains – improving ecosystems and supporting other wildlife, as well as helping manage climate change impacts such as droughts, wildfires and flooding.
Trees for Life plans to introduce guided tours, offering visitors the opportunity to spot the beavers and learn how they are transforming the landscape.
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